The Foreign Service Journal, December 2009

D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 9 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 59 E ach year, AFSA partners with the nonprofit Fund for American Diplomacy in an appeal for dona- tions to a worthy cause. The fund spon- sors Foreign Service programs and helps us tell the story of the Foreign Service to the American public in a variety of ways. Through a tax-deductible donation to the Fund for American Diplomacy, you can support: • AFSA’s High School Essay Contest, where students can earn college schol- arship money by writing an essay on a topic related to foreign affairs. • The AFSA Memorial Plaques and annual ceremony at the State Depart- ment to honor our colleagues who died in the line of duty. • Awards programs recognizing FS employee and spouse achievements. • The AFSA/Thursday Luncheon GroupMinority Intern Program, which places a deserving minority student in a summer internship at the State Depart- ment. • Inside a U.S. Embassy , our popular book providing insights into the Foreign Service to individuals preparing for the FS exam, college students in interna- tional relations courses, and FS family members and relatives, as well as mili- tary and corporate personnel interact- ing with our missions abroad. A new edition is planned for the fall of 2010. • Exploritas (formerly Elderhostel) programs on foreign affairs for retired Americans. • AFSA’s Speakers Bureau, where FS retirees draw on their real-life experi- ences in addressing business and com- munity leaders and the general public across the country. No AFSA dues support FAD activi- ties, so we rely on your direct donations to the fund in order to enable these suc- cessful and vital programs to continue. For further information on the fund and its activities, please contact AFSA Director of Communications Tom Switzer at (202) 944-5501 or switzer@ afsa.org . ❏ tions already exist. They were estab- lished to recognize individuals who demonstrate the professional courage and integrity to ask tough questions on either foreign policy or management/ personnel issues and to offer alternative solutions through the appropriate chan- nels. Foreign Service employees have been trained to give their best professional counsel. They should be encouraged to do so. As two-time dissent award win- ner Ambassador Anthony Quainton has stated: “The awards should recognize those men and women of the Service who are willing to tackle tough and complex problems head-on, to call the shots as they are, and to propose practi- cal and creative solutions.” Please help AFSA continue to honor and recognize independent thinking and honest dissent by nominating a col- league for one of the constructive dissent awards described below, which fall into four categories: • The Tex Harris Award for a Foreign Service specialist; • The Averell Harriman Award for a junior officer (FS-4, -5 or -6); • The William Rivkin Award for a mid-level officer (FS-1, -2 or -3); • The ChristianA.Herter Award for a senior officer (FE/OC-FE/CA). Exemplary Performance AFSA also offers three annual awards for exemplary performance of assigned or voluntary duties at an over- seas post that constitute extraordinary contributions to effectiveness, profes- sionalism and morale. The awards are: • The Delavan Award, for a Foreign Service Office Management Specialist who has made a significant contribution to post or office effectiveness andmorale beyond the framework of his/her job re- sponsibilities; • The M. Juanita Guess Award, for a Community Liaison Officer who has demonstrated outstanding leadership, dedication, initiative or imagination in assisting the families of Americans serv- ing at an overseas post; • The Avis Bohlen Award, for a For- eign Service Eligible Family Member whose relations with the American and foreign communities at post have done the most to advance the interests of the United States. As with AFSA’s dissent awards, win- ners receive a cash prize of $2,500 and are honored at the June ceremony. Nomination Procedures Information on nomination proce- dures and guidelines can be found on our Web site at: www.afsa.org/awards. There is a hyperlink to articles about the AFSA 2009 award winners, as well as a listing of all past award winners. TheAFSAAwards and Plaques Com- mittee, chaired by Ambassador John Limbert, reviews all nominations. Sub- missions that do not meet the stated cri- teria, as determined by our judges and the Awards & Plaques Committee, will not be considered. All nominations will be acknowledged. Questions about any of the awards may be directed to Barbara Berger, Co- ordinator for Professional Issues, at berger@afsa.org ; by phone at (202) 338- 4045, ext. 521; or via fax at (202) 338- 6820. ❏ A F S A N E W S AFSA Award Nominations • Continued from page 53 Please Consider Supporting the Fund for American Diplomacy BY ASGEIR SIGFUSSON, MARKETING AND OUTREACH MANAGER Foreign Service employees have been trained to give their best professional counsel. They should be encouraged to do so.